Fantasy Breakdown: The AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open
Here We Golf Fantasy DP World Tour Show
Venue: La Réserve Golf Links, Heritage Bel Ombre
Defending Champion: John Parry (won at Mont Choisy)
The tour has left the high altitude of Johannesburg and
landed in paradise. But don’t let the cocktail umbrellas fool you; this week is
going to be a proper grind.
We are back at La Réserve Golf Links. This isn't the Mont
Choisy layout where John Parry lifted the trophy last year. We haven't seen
this track since Louis Oosthuizen won here back in late 2023. It represents a
massive shift in style—from the tree-lined avenues of Royal Joburg to a
wide-open, windswept modern links.
Here’s how we’re attacking the Swing Finale.
The Course: La Réserve Golf Links
This place is pure eye candy, but it’s got teeth.
Co-designed by Louis Oosthuizen and Peter Matkovich, it was the first
contemporary links built in the Indian Ocean. It is a stunning piece of
architecture that demands creativity over brute force.
* The Vibe: It’s
"Links in the Tropics." You have wide fairways that scream "hit
driver," but if you miss, you’re in native scrub that is basically a lost
ball.
* The
"Infinity" Problem: The greens are the real defence here. They are
designed to blend into the ocean horizon. It looks unreal on TV, but for the
players, it kills depth perception. Distance control with wedges is the number
one stat this week.
* Elevation &
Paspalum: The course drops nearly 200 metres from the clubhouse to the coast.
Club selection is a nightmare when you combine that drop with the trade winds.
Plus, the Paspalum grass around the greens is sticky—if your chipping action is
steep, the grass will grab the club and duff the shot.
Last Week's Recap:
The Royal Joburg Thriller
Just a quick nod to last week—what a performance by
Jayden Schaper. We’ve been waiting for that breakthrough for a long time. He
held his nerve in a playoff against a surging Shaun Norris (who shot a closing
62!) to take the Alfred Dunhill Championship.
That win at Royal Joburg wasn't just luck; it was a
ball-striking masterclass. Schaper proved he can handle the Sunday heat, and
crucially, his iron play was precise enough to navigate tight pins. He arrives
in Mauritius as the undeniable form player of the Swing.
⚠️ The "Opening Swing"
Strategy
Listen closely - This is the end of the Opening Swing.
* Booster Rule:
You get one of EACH booster (Triple Captain AND Bench Boost) per Swing.
* The Play: Check
your account. If you have either of them left, fire it now. These chips do not
carry over to the International Swing.
* Strategy: If you
have a Bench Boost left, this is the perfect week. With the field weakened by
some big names sitting out, the variance is high. Banking points from all 6
players is a safer play than relying on one superstar. If you have a Triple
Captain left, Schaper is the obvious choice to maximise it.
The Field: Safe Picks & Contenders
Jayden Schaper
Confidence is a hell of a drug in golf. After winning
last week, his arm swing looks freer than it has in years. He’s the safest pair
of hands in the field. Triple Captain material? Absolutely, especially given
the depleted field.
Daniel Brown
Don't overthink this one—Brown is a class act. The
Englishman has serious pedigree in tough conditions (remember his run at The
Open?) and he absolutely relishes the wind. While others complain about the
breeze, he flights the ball down and gets to work. He’s not a
"sleeper" anymore; he is a foundational piece for your Starting 4.
John Parry (Defending Champion)
The defending champion deserves massive respect. While he
won on a different course (Mont Choisy), Parry is a gritty player who knows how
to get it done in island conditions. He has been quietly bubbling under the
surface recently, posting a solid T7 at the Dunhill last week. His short game
is sharp, which is exactly what you need to save par on these tricky infinity
greens.
Sleeper Picks & Differentiators
Hennie du Plessis
Here is a name that might slip through the cracks. While
everyone is loading up on Schaper, Hennie du Plessis is the perfect pivot. He
has been absolutely flushing it on the Sunshine Tour recently (T2 and T4 in his
last two starts back home). More importantly, he is one of the longest drivers
in the field. La Réserve’s fairways are wide enough to hold his power, and his
length turns the tricky Par 5s into guaranteed scoring opportunities. If you
want a South African contender with 5% ownership instead of 40%, he is your
man.
Marcus Kinhult
The Swede is flying under the radar, but he shouldn't be.
Why? Because he loves links golf. When the wind gets up and creativity is
required, Kinhult comes alive—just look at his win at the British Masters
(Hillside) or his strong performances at the Dunhill Links. La Réserve asks the
same questions: can you control your flight and scramble from tight lies?
Kinhult can. At low ownership, he’s a brilliant play.
Christo Lamprecht
The young giant has the game to tear this place apart.
The fairways at La Réserve are massive, meaning he can unleash that driver. He
makes eagles, and in this scoring format (12 points for an eagle!), he’s a
fantasy cheat code.
Players to Avoid
The "Cold" Putters
Paspalum grass is grainy and slow compared to the
bentgrass greens the players saw last week. If a player has been struggling
with the flat stick on smooth surfaces, they are going to have a nightmare
here. Avoid players who are losing strokes putting over their last 4 rounds;
they won't find it on these greens.
Poor Scramblers
With the infinity greens and the wind, players will miss
greens in regulation. It's inevitable. You need players who can get up and down
from the sticky rough. If a player ranks outside the top 100 in Scrambling this
season, leave them out. They will turn pars into bogeys, and bogeys into
doubles.
